Current Information:

Age-34

30c, Peabody Buildings, Old Pye Street, Westminster

Metz-en-Couture Communal Cemetery, France

The German offensive of 21st March, 1918

With an end to the fighting on the Eastern Front after the Russian Revolution, Germany was able to bring its troops from there to France and launch a series of offensives in the Spring of 1918, designed to bring the war to a swift conclusion. Four times between March and July they attacked in strength and on each occasion they broke through the British and French lines and made spectacular gains but in each case they over extended themselves and without adequate supplies keeping up with their rapid advances, they could go no further.

The first of these attacks, Operation Michael, was made on 21st March by 63 specially trained divisions, attacking along a 60 mile front held by 26 British divisions, many of them in a weakened state At 4.40am the German artillery opened up with the most ferocious and concentrated bombardment of the war, the likes of which the British had never experienced before. The Forward Zone, consisting mainly of individual posts was blown away. Very few of the men there made it back. Many were killed and many more were taken prisoner. The Battle Zone was also battered as were the British guns, firing from positions just to the rear. Brigade and Divisional HQs were targeted as well and then, from out of the thick mist came the German storm troopers. Moving fast, they skirted round the few remaining strongholds and penetrated deep into the British lines, including those of the Battle Zone, causing the utmost confusion. There were many cases of heroic stands being made but the relentless pressure forced the British back everywhere and there then began a general retreat that went on for two weeks and which ceded to the Germans a huge amount of territory, including all of that that had been won at such great cost during the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

The Flesquières salient was a bulge into the German line just to the south-west of Cambrai and was formed as a result of the Battle of Cambrai in November, 1917. On 21st March, 1918 it was being held by V Corps and was not directly attacked. Instead the Germans tried to pinch it out by attacking either side of it. They did however plaster the whole front of the salient, held by 47th (London) Division and the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division with a sustained and heavy artillery bombardment, including many gas shells. The 24th London battalion of 142 Brigade had moved forward into support positions in Metz and Winchester Valley on 20th March where they came under heavy artillery fire on the following day as the German offensive began and at 7am they were ordered up, through the barrage, to the Second Defence System where they did their best to strengthen the line. The battalion suffered considerable casuaties while under shell fire at Metz and then when moving forward at 7am. One of these was Arthur Weir.